NEW YORK: A sharp escalation of fighting in Syria’s Aleppo governorate has displaced thousands of people and caused heavy civilian casualties, prompting top UN officials to issue urgent warnings of the growing humanitarian crisis and threat to regional stability.
The alarm comes as fighting spreads to parts of Idlib and Hama governorates, leaving the situation volatile and unpredictable.
At the same time, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), “rebel forces” have taken control of the “majority” of the country’s second-largest city, Aleppo. , destroyed by the war.
Russia launched response airstrikes in parts of Aleppo overnight for the first time since 2016, observers added.
The SOHR said more than 300 people – including more than 20 civilians – have been killed since the offensive began on Wednesday.
In a statement released on Sunday, the UN special envoy for Syria, Geir O. Pedersen, expressed serious concerns over the radical change in front lines, including the advances of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a terrorist group designated by the UN Security Council, and the intensification of government airstrikes.
“In a country torn by nearly 14 years of war and conflict, the latest developments pose serious risks to civilians and have serious implications for regional and international peace and security,” he said.
He stressed the urgent need to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, calling on all parties to respect international law.
“What we see today in Syria is a mark of a collective failure to achieve what has clearly been necessary for many years: a genuine political process to implement Security Council resolution 2254 (2015),” Pedersen added.
Furthermore, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, highlighted the serious humanitarian crisis in Aleppo, where violence since November 27 has cost the lives of civilians, including women and children, displaced families. and disrupted essential services.
Describing the situation as “tragic”, he urged all parties to the conflict to immediately cease hostilities and prioritize the protection of civilians, including the safety of humanitarian workers.
“The Syrian people must not endure further suffering, and we urge an opportunity for dialogue,” he said.
According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), violence in Aleppo has forced thousands of people to flee, many seeking refuge in open and dangerous areas. The key M-5 Damascus-Aleppo highway is inaccessible between the city of Saraqab (Idlib) and Aleppo.
Curfews were imposed in Aleppo city on Friday and Saturday, and all public establishments, including universities and schools, were suspended. Hospitals would be overwhelmed with injured people, while banks and ATMs would run out of cash.
“This recent escalation of hostilities comes at a time when countless people, many of whom have already endured the trauma of displacement, are now forced to flee once again, leaving their homes and livelihoods behind,” said Mr. Abdelmoula.
He also highlighted the severity of the long-standing crisis, noting that before the influx of more than half a million returnees and refugees from Lebanon since September, more than 16.7 million people were already in need. of humanitarian aid.
“This latest violence adds even more lives that now urgently need to be saved,” he said.
